And the Fun Continues

Warning - 18 photos

As if the Beth Moore conference with friends wasn't enough, the weekend only got better. Brandon brought the girls to town to meet up with me. We met at an exit in town where I told my friends goodbye and said hello to my family. It's always nice to see the girls so excited to see me. First stop - Kohls. :) Brandon had more luck there than I did, but it was a successful trip.

We then headed to the hotel where we were meeting up with two dear cousins of mine (sisters) and their families. I haven't seen them in four years! We spent time hanging out at the hotel, ate dinner at Fazoli's and then went back to the hotel to swim. I played the role and put my suit on, but Brandon was the better parent because he got in the COLD water to swim with the girls. I took care of getting towels for every one. :)

The next morning we headed to my favorite zoo. There were four adults and nine children under the age of ten. But honestly, I think the adults were looking forward to the zoo just as much, if not more, than the kiddos. :)

It was a cool and cloudy day...not what I had hoped or packed for. However, I think it was in our favor. No sunscreen needed and no sweat dripping in our eyes. And I think the cooler weather encouraged the animals to be more active.  We were there from 9:30-5:00 and still didn't see everything!

We started in the aquarium where we had so much fun watching the penguins!

Sadie isn't quite as tall as an Emperor Penguin

 They kept swimming right by us. So fun!

 I took this picture for you, dad. You always loved these monkeys. If you look closely, you will see the twin babies in her lap.

 Walking through the jungle.

Analise took this picture of us...much better than the other two she took. In the first one, she got a close up of my ear. And the second one she zoomed in on just her daddy.  

 And here is the crew. And in my opinion, they are ALL sweet. :)

 When we were younger you could tell there was three years between each one of us...not anymore. We all look 25. :)

 One of the lions was roaring as we got over there; I told Brandon it was because they thought Sadie was a zebra.

 This tiger was pacing while waiting for dinner.

 Sadie's favorite color is orange, so when she spotted this orange tiger, she was beside herself with excitement.

 The sleeping Sunbear looks so sweet.

 They all loved petting the goats.

 It was fun watching and listening to the seals.

 I admit...orangutans have been one of my favorites since I was a kid. When we got to their area, one was busy playing, but then he came over to the glass right in front of me. We were face to face.

 After a great, great day we made the drive back home. This is how the sky looked, and Analise told me I should take a picture. I am glad I did.

Beth Moore - Better

Like many women, I have done several Beth Moore studies, and I have loved each one. She has probably challenged me and taught me more than I can even remember.

So when I heard that she was going to be speaking live...and within driving distance, I knew I must go. :)

I am so glad I did! I went with two dear friends and a little one month old. We headed out Friday afternoon and got in a little shopping and dinner at Q'Doba before the conference began.

First, the worship time with Travis Cottrell was amazing. Worshiping with 4000 other women (and 2 men) was heavenly. And it was fun seeing people I knew throughout the conference.

And then Beth came out - so fun to see her in person!  She spoke until 9:30, and then on Saturday we were there from 8:30- 12:00.

 Can you find Beth's illustration on stage? :)

 Dear friends - L with baby D, and G

Beth waits until just a few days before the conference to decide what she is going to talk about; up until that time she is in prayer asking the Lord what He wants her to share. And this time, He lead her to the word "Better."

There is a better that is bitter

and

There is a better that is better

Better is bitter....

1. When better is before

2. When better is someone besides me. The vaccination for comparison is found in Phil. 2:3-4.

3. When better is the route I didn't take/ the "if only..."

4. When better is what you should have known.

Better is better....

5. When better is the blood (of Christ)

6. When better is a Savior

7. When better is God's love

8. When better is a way

9. When better is a country (longing for the heavenly one)

So thank you to my MIL who watched the girls in the afternoon, and to my dear husband who supported me in going and taking care of the girls so I could. Thanks dear friends for your friendship and sweet memories of this time. And thank you Lord for sweet sisters in Christ...some whom I knew, and other whom I didn't. We worship the same God. And we long for the day when Better is coming.

Happy Father's Day

We were so glad Brandon was home all day for Father's Day. We went to church, where he sat by himself because I was helping in Sadie's Sunday school class. Since I wasn't planning on him being home until later, I didn't have much planned for the day. He took a nap and did some things outside.

Daddy and Daughters before Church

 The girls each picked out one thing from the store to give him. Analise came up with her own idea, and I helped the other two. Sadie gave him animal crackers.

 Maisie's gift

 And Analise bought him pickles instead of hiding some on his toast. :)

 For supper he grilled chicken for fajitas. It's one of his favorite meals. I also made some fruit dip to die for and bought him some raspberry lemonade. After supper we went to the track for bike rides/walks and playing with Frisbees. It was a great night!

And here are his sweet daughters:

At lunch, I asked the girls questions about their dad. Here is what we learned...

What is daddy's favorite food?

Maisie - pizza

Sadie - pizza

Analise - burgers

What is something daddy taught you?

Maisie - how to tickle

Analise - how to doggy paddle

Sadie - how to fish

What does daddy do to relax?

Maisie - sleep

Analise - take a nap

Sadie - eat pickles (hah!)

What is daddy's favorite hobby?

Maisie - be goofy or watch movies

Analise - tickle us, play the Wii, or ride bikes at the track

Sadie - go fishing in the boat

What does daddy do around the house to help?

Maisie - make a cake (hah!)

mow the yard

Analise - do the dishes and fixes things

Sadie - helps her swing

What is your favorite thing to do with daddy?

Maisie - smell flowers and tickle

Analise - tickle, swim, bike rides

Sadie - play doh

(So I admit, Maisie's answers cracked us up!)

Saturday At The Lake

Saturday morning we got up and got ready for a day at the lake. On our way down, Brandon saw a turtle in the road, so we picked him up and took him with us. Those guys can move quickly all over the floor of the van!

We let the girls play with him in the grass, and before we headed out on the boat, the girls filled up one of the small pools for "Shelly" to stay in while we were gone.

 It was a beautiful day to be out on the boat. Sunny and warm with a slight breeze to keep you cooler. We caught a few fish, but this was the first time the water was warm enough to swim around. Analise couldn't get enough time in the water, Maisie sat on the ledge and kicked her feet in the water, and Sadie swam for a bit with Brandon.

 Before Brandon skied, he had Analise back there so she could get a "mini ski lesson."

 Sadie enjoyed a sucker; can you guess what color it was? :)

The plan was for Brandon to spend the night so he could do some night fishing, but it looked like it could storm (again) so he came back with us. Though I was sad he didn't get to fish like he wanted, I am never sad when he is around. And the weather did get ugly, so I was glad he was with me. :)

When we got home from our fun day, Analise wrote in her journal about the different animals she saw. Here it is:

Today we saw a lot of anmials! We saw 1 red baby fox run acrose the rode, 6 deer, 4 Praire dog babies 2 ran off 2 dug a hole, we caught a frog and a Turtle. I forgot 3 Turkeys.

Friday Family Fun

Last Friday night we took the girls to the indoor golf at the fun center. They always want to go there, and we  had never done the inside golf before. Plus, I had a great coupon. :)

We had the place to ourselves and had lots of fun. It's funny to watch each of the girls try and putt the ball. Analise is getting better; Maisie gets frustrated really easily and doesn't want much help; Sadie hits the ball off the pad, picks it up and places it next to the hole and taps it in.

 After the mini golfing, we found some of those silly mirrors. We laughed and laughed until our stomachs hurt. Here is a little sampling...

1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little

Indians!

Last Friday our community had a big event drawing in Indians from tribes in other states. I got up that morning and thought it would be fun to take the girls out for a bit. We went last year, and we had fun. (Though I admit I was hoping for some more educational fun this year. )

So I called Grandma and asked her if she would like to go with us. She did!  We ventured out after the downpour and walked around looking at tee pees and things. The girls had fun, but again I was disappointed that they didn't offer more. I'm not sure my girls even saw an Indian. Maybe next year we will have to just go for the tribal dance.

Can you tell by this time the girls were finished and ready for lunch?

They are sitting in front of a sod house; this was the new addition to the gathering this year. We learned more about pioneers/sod houses/and the military from that era than about Indians at the Indian festival. Go figure.

Tootsie Rollers

I signed Maisie up for one Park and Rec class this summer. It was so fun to see her participate in her own thing. She's so used to watching Analise, she was thrilled when it was her turn. (And I enjoyed having Analise hanging with Sadie and me while we watched. :))

 It was just four days, but she loved each minute of it.

It was a class for preschoolers, working on large motor skills. They did dancing, jumping, tumbling, that sort of thing.

 What made it extra fun for Maisie was having her good friend, H, in class with her. One day last week the kids were to lay down on their tummies with their heads down. I looked out and saw this:

 My first response was to laugh. She and H were completely opposite of rest of the group. It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to me in a way I don't want to forget. He impressed upon my heart that this is how life is going to be. She and H are being raised Christ like and will go counter culture. May they do so confidently with Christ by their side!

Silly Girls

How could I not post this? They were having so much fun!

Swimming Lessons

We have swimming lessons three evenings a week in the month of June. So far it's been a big hit. Analise continues to love the water and improves each night. She has moved up a couple of lanes, so she is being challenged. Just last night I saw her swimming farther between breaks, and she was breathing and swimming at the same time.

Maisie is in the pool this year as well. I wasn't so sure how she would do. Two years ago we did a mom/child swimming class; she didn't like that at all. But she was excited to go this time and loves it!  Well, the outdoor pool anyway. Occasionally we are in an indoor pool. The first night there, Maisie cried and cried. She told me it was because her feet didn't reach the bottom. And sure enough, it was deeper than the outdoor pool. So when we are outside, she jumps around and plays with her friends while she waits for her turn with the instructor. At the indoor pool, she sits on the edge while she waits. I don't mind as long as she swims with the instructor like she's supposed to.

And Sadie...some nights I let her wear her suit because she wants to kick her feet. I learned this the first night when she ended up with soaked clothes. :)

 My little swimmer, as long as she can touch bottom.

 And my big swimmer. I love how she loves the water!  She doesn't get it from me. :)

Last week, Analise says to me, "Mom, I have to admit I like the outdoor pool better."

"Why?"

"Because the indoor pool is 70 feet deep!"

I chuckled and explained it was probably 70 meters long. :)